Milkshakes and Lost Time
by DigitalAlice
Summary: Craig and Tweek's first (and second) official date, as referenced in Your Promise To Me. Was meant to be a short little fluffy side-piece, ended up being longer than most of the ones I've written ripppppp don't hate me OTZ


Tweek could sense something was going on with Craig, but he couldn't tell exactly what. It had been three weeks since they'd resumed dating, and Tweek still couldn't tell whether or not they were _really_ going out. They held hands in public, but never privately. Craig called him pet names, and that _did_ happen privately. There seemed to be no consistency. Tweek had been driving himself crazy trying to work out the clues. Were they a normal couple, or was Craig still doing this because the town thrived on it?

Then he'd noticed the shift in Craig's behaviour. It was subtle but it was there. He'd look away a bit quicker when their eyes met, and hesitate for a moment before taking his hand.

The only explanation Tweek could come up with was that Craig was waiting for the right time to break things off again. Tweek sat nervously in his bedroom every afternoon waiting for a scene similar to before: Craig would come into his room, and tell him they needed a public break up. Tweek waited and waited.

As each day passed he became increasingly unsettled by how much he didn't want that to happen. He knew why, and it made his heart beat faster when he thought about it. For the first time that he could remember, Tweek was happy. When he was with Craig, he felt _comfortable_. And comfortable wasn't a feeling he was used to.

Tweek smiled to himself. He could get used to it.

'What are you smiling about?'

Clyde was sitting opposite him in the cafeteria, poking at the soggy-looking mystery food on his plate with a sour face. Hearing the question, Craig looked up at Tweek too. He was sitting next to Tweek, openly holding his hand on the table.

'Ngh-nothing,' Tweek said. 'Just thinking.'

He glanced at Craig, who looked away quickly.

 _What is going on in his head?_

Tweek wanted to know desperately, but he was also afraid. There was an awkward atmosphere between them but at least Craig hadn't split up with him yet. If Tweek pushed Craig into talking about what was going on, he might just speed up the process of becoming single again. Ignorance was bliss, and right now it was keeping them together.

When the school day was finished, Craig snatched his hand and tugged him back, away from the crowd of students heading home.

'Everything okay?' Tweek asked, suddenly afraid. It couldn't happen yet. He wasn't ready.

Craig waited until the other kids had all walked away, leaving them alone. He was still holding Tweek's hands in his own. _That's the first time he's done that privately_ , Tweek thought, his heart fluttering. Normally Craig would have stopped holding his hand by now. He looked up and saw something in Craig's eyes he didn't like. Was it fear, or confusion, or embarrassment? All Tweek knew was that it was something not good.

'Tweek-'

'Please don't!' Tweek shrieked, scrunching his eyes shut tightly and bowing his head down.

'Huh?'

'I can tell something has been bothering you recently,' Tweek mumbled, his hands shaking in Craig's grasp. 'And I know people aren't really paying attention to us anymore, and you probably want us to break up again so you can get chicks, but…'

Tweek wanted to say it. He wanted to tell Craig how much he liked him, how much he liked that they were an item. He didn't want just the town to see them that way; he wanted Craig to see them as a couple too. He wanted to say _please don't leave me, please stay with me, please be my boyfriend_ , but none of the words came out.

And he knew how this was really going to go. When Craig broke things off, Tweek would just agree, regardless of his own feelings. He didn't have the courage to fight for what made him happy. If Craig wanted chicks, then Tweek couldn't stand in his way. He wanted Craig to be happy.

'You haven't been happy recently, have you?' Tweek asked quietly, staring at his shoes.

'Not really.'

Tweek felt his chest tighten. He was right. And that meant there was only one way things could go. Tweek swallowed the lump in his throat. He'd been kidding himself to think this was something real.

'Then, just say the words and-'

Tweek stopped with a gasp and Craig stepped close and pulled Tweek into a hug. He leaned his forehead against Tweek's shoulder.

'Please go on a date with me!' Craig asked, his voice small.

'Wha…'

Craig looked up at him.

'I want to go on an official date. And I've been nervous to ask you, and…' Craig blushed, looking away.

'You don't want to break up with me?'

'What?' Craig turned to scowl at him. 'No, of course not. Why would you say that?'

'I don't know,' Tweek admitted. 'We weren't exactly clear on what this was when we started it again. I thought, maybe you…'

'Wanted to get chicks?'

Tweek nodded and Craig sighed, squeezing his hands.

'I don't know how you see it,' Craig said, 'but I see it as: we're in a relationship, and you're my boyfriend, and it's kind of lame we haven't been on a proper date yet.'

'Oh.'

'You don't see it like that?' Craig looked disappointed.

'I do!' Tweek exclaimed. 'I'm just surprised you see this as… real. I'm really, really, _really_ glad you do. But I'm just surprised.'

Craig pulled on his hands, turning to start walking to the street. Tweek intertwined their fingers as they walked. There was nobody around gawking at them, but Craig was still holding his hand. It felt nice. Tweek bit his lip to stop from grinning like an idiot.

'So? Can we go on a date?'

'Now?'

'If you're not busy,' Craig said, looking anywhere but at Tweek.

Tweek had never seen such a nervous, embarrassed side to Craig before, and it was nice to share in this private moment, to see a part of Craig he never showed anyone else.

'Let's go,' Tweek said, smiling. 'There's a diner we could try, down on Highway Street? I've never been but we could try it.'

'Deal.'

They headed there in silence, a new kind of awkwardness descending on them, a heavily-charged atmosphere to the air that made Tweek's stomach do little somersaults. He could swear his heartbeat was so loud that Craig must have been able to hear. But the raven-haired boy walked on, his eyes set forward, showing no indication that he noticed Tweek's insides were practicing gymnastics.

They settled down in a quiet booth of the diner, tucked away in the corner. It didn't look that great from the outside, and it looked worse from the inside. There was a musty smell of burnt food that seemed to stick in Tweek's throat, and the table was still sticky from the food and drink of the previous customers.

But they had made it here, so they were going to have their date. Tweek was determined. Craig ordered a burger and fries with a milkshake, and Tweek ordered the same, not wanting to admit he'd been too nervous to even look at the menu.

When the food arrived, the fries were charred on the edges, and the lettuce in the burgers was shrivelled. The plate dripped in grease. Tweek raised an eyebrow at the food. He caught Craig's eye and they both laughed.

'This place is so bad,' Craig chuckled, crunching down on one of his burnt fries.

'So bad,' Tweek agreed.

He took a sip of his milkshake. It was thin and tasted like chemicals.

'Dude, they don't even use ice cream in their milkshakes,' Tweek complained, stirring the concoction with his straw.

'This is kinda lame,' Craig admitted.

'Sorry.'

'Not you,' Craig scolded.

'But I suggested this place,' Tweek said. 'I ruined our first proper date.'

'Look,' Craig said, shuffling out of his seat and reaching to pull Tweek up. 'You need to stop blaming yourself for stuff so much. It's really not your fault. Come on. Let's get out of here before we get food poisoning.'

They laughed and left the diner hand in hand, abandoning the quickest date in history.

'Maybe our second date will go better?' Tweek offered as they wandered down the street.

'Well why wait?'

Tweek glanced at Craig, who had a playful smile on his lips.

'You want a second date right now?'

'To make up for that abomination,' Craig said, nodding his head back in the direction of the diner. They turned the corner and spotted the Ice Cream Shoppe.

'Here,' Craig said, leading Tweek in that direction. 'You want a proper milkshake, right? With ice cream?'

'Sure,' Tweek said with a smile, allowing Craig to pull him along. They stepped inside and took a seat in one of the booths, which was already much cleaner and more colourful than their previous diner experience. They ordered their shakes, and Craig asked for a serving of freshly baked cookies.

'Welcome to our second date,' Craig said.

'It feels like so _long_ since we last had a date,' Tweek said flippantly. Their food and drinks arrived, and Tweek took a sip of his milkshake. Mint chocolate ice cream that was thick and cold and delicious. This was how it was meant to go.

Craig stretched both his hands across the table towards him, and Tweek reached to take them in his own. They both smiled at each other nervously.

Now their problem was what to talk about. Normally on a first – or second – date, it was common to make small talk and get to know the person. But Tweek had been good friends with Craig for a long time, and they already knew a lot about each other. What was the protocol here?

Craig was running his thumbs over Tweek's fingers, brushing the skin lightly. The soft touch gave his arms goose bumps.

'This is the first time you've held my hand,' Tweek said, and Craig frowned.

'That's not true.'

'It's the first time without people looking.'

Craig was staring at him with an expression that Tweek couldn't read.

'You think I do it only for show? '

Tweek shrugged.

'Babe, you're not the only one who gets nervous.' Craig sipped some of his strawberry milkshake. 'I just show it differently.'

Tweek knew he was right. The way Craig had been avoiding his gaze, the blush on his face when he'd asked Tweek out on a date… there was no denying that Craig had been noticeably nervous. But surely he would be more anxious holding his hand in public, not when it was just the two of them?

'I've never done anything like this,' Craig continued, freeing one of his hands to break off some cookie to eat. 'And now I am, and all the dating pressure is combined with the fact I'm doing this with a _guy_ , and one of my best friends, of all people.'

They sat quietly, Craig still holding Tweek's right hand across the table. Tweek couldn't help but feel bad for overlooking Craig's feelings. Over the last few weeks since they got back together, Tweek had been constantly evaluating their progress, overthinking everything that was said and done between them. He didn't even think that Craig might have been doing the same, and had been just as tense.

Tweek decided that he was just grateful Craig had asked him out. All of the stressing about breaking up and fake relationships, every worry was for nothing. Craig _liked_ him, just the same as he liked Craig.

'Strawberry is your favourite flavour?' Tweek asked, watching Craig drink his milkshake.

'Yeah. Wanna try?' Craig tilted the glass towards him, and he leaned forward to suck on the straw. It was a good taste, but didn't go well with the mint flavour still on his tongue. Craig broke off another piece of cookie and held it out for Tweek to eat. He took the piece between his teeth, his cheeks flushing pink. Craig was _feeding_ him. Why did that make him so happy?

They began to just talk. They spoke about schoolwork, and their friends, and the latest Playstation games, and just generally talked like they would at school. Conversation came smoothly and didn't feel like forced 'date talk'. It became clear to Tweek why it was so good to date one of his best friends. Everything felt so natural once they stopped overthinking it.

But even better than that, they could let their guard down in a way they hadn't before. Craig spoke like he was unafraid of getting laughed at, and Tweek offered his opinions knowing someone was actually listening to him, not judging or analysing him. They could just be themselves, and not worry what anyone else thought. When they both realised this, they smiled at each other warmly.

The waiter came to clear their empty glasses.

'You boys all done?' he asked.

Tweek opened his mouth to speak but stopped, glancing at Craig. They hesitated, watching each other.

'Seconds?' Craig asked, his voice small.

Tweek nodded and Craig grinned, biting his lip in a way that made Tweek's heart skip.

'Actually,' Craig said to the waiter, 'Can we get some more shakes?'

By the time they were halfway through their second milkshakes, Tweek began to feel brave. Either the sugar was kicking in or he was realising he could trust Craig more.

'Tell me a secret,' Tweek said, drawing patterns on the back of Craig's hand with his fingertips.

'A secret?'

'Anything. It can be super dumb. I just want to know something about you that other people don't know.'

'Hmm.' Craig thought for a moment, chewing on his straw. 'Oh. You know I've been studying really hard in math?'

'Yeah. Clyde said you were going to fail it, and if you failed it then you weren't allowed to do anything on your birthday this year.'

'That's what I told people,' Craig said. 'But I lied.'

'Why?'

'Because they would laugh at me if they knew the truth.'

Craig was focusing really hard on his milkshake. Tweek squeezed his hand gently, prompting him to look up.

'Can I know the truth?'

 _I won't make fun of you_ , Tweek thought. _You can tell me anything_.

'I want to be an astronaut,' Craig mumbled, looking away to the side. 'Or work with NASA. And you need good science and math grades. So I need to work hard in those classes, but I didn't want to seem like a complete dork, and if people knew then they'd call me a goody two-shoes, and…'

He trailed off, not meeting Tweek's eye.

'That's super cool!' Tweek said, genuinely meaning it. 'But, I wouldn't want to go into space. So many things could go wrong, like you could die, or like, aliens could find you and think you're food, or something.'

Two realisations struck him right then that made him shut up. Firstly, he realised he was rambling. Secondly, he realised Craig was staring at him.

'W…What? Why are you looking at me like that?'

'You're just kind of amazing,' Craig said with a smile. After a moment he added, 'You really think it's cool?'

Tweek nodded, slurping up the last of his shake.

'Like, you want to do something that awesome, and you're trying really hard to make it happen. I think that's pretty great. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone.'

Something in Craig's demeanour changed from that point on. Whenever Tweek looked at him, Craig was watching him with a soft expression that made his heart start thudding loud again.

When Craig asked him to share a secret in return, Tweek opened up about the recurring nightmare that plagued him every six months or so. It was a horrible dream that he never shared with anyone. The worst thing about it, he told Craig, was that he knew he would have it again. It was a waiting game until that nightmare came back. Craig listened intently to his description of the dream, not interrupting or making fun of him. And when Tweek talked about the panic attacks it sometimes caused in the middle of the night when he was all alone, Craig squeezed his hand gently, massaging Tweek's fingers with his thumb.

'Closing time,' the man behind the counter called. They looked around in shock. The sun was low in the sky and the streetlamps had come on.

'How… how long have we been here?' Tweek asked, and Craig glanced down at his watch.

'We went on our first date straight after school, and it's now five thirty,' he said. 'So like two hours, basically.'

They looked at each other with wide eyes, and then started laughing.

'My parents are going to freak,' Tweek said. Normally that thought would make him panic, but not this time. This time he felt calm and happy.

Craig pulled out some money and left it on the table. Tweek reached into his pocket but Craig shook his head with a frown.

'This one's on me,' he said. 'You get the next one.'

Tweek smiled as they stood and headed to the exit hand in hand.

'Does this mean you want a third date?'

'As long as I can pick the location, because that diner was the worst call _ever_.'

They laughed again, and out in the street Craig turned to pull Tweek close. Tweek returned the hug, happy to feel the warmth of Craig's body against him.

After that, the ice cream parlour became one of their regular date spots. It was a safe place for them to be themselves and open up to each other. They often met up there after they had an argument too, because no matter what they fought about, they knew there was no problem that couldn't be solved with a milkshake and a little bit of lost time.


End file.
